Lasco Foods

What Lasco Foods does

Lasco Foods, Inc. is a privately held food and beverage manufacturer headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in dry cocktail mixes, ready-to-use (RTU) cocktail mixers, beverage mixes, and salad dressings. The company operates four distinct brands — Lasco Granules (dry cocktail mixes), Nina's Cocktails (RTU mixers and concentrates, including Natural and Natural Keto lines), Hendrickson's Dressings (acquired January 2023, Kosher Pareve and gluten-free), and Back Porch Drink Mix (lemonade). Lasco's core technology is recipe-driven rather than software-driven: it produces the same proprietary dry margarita mix formula originally created in the 1950s, and its product portfolio spans more than 20 cocktail mixer SKUs. Manufacturing occurs at an SQF-certified facility (INTERTEK SAI Global, Food Manufacturing Edition 9.0) at the company's original Gustine Ave location, where it has operated since 1949.

Lasco's business model is a multi-channel branded CPG operation with three principal revenue streams: food service product sales (bulk cocktail and beverage mixes to national restaurants, bars, casinos, schools, and prisons under quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts), retail product sales (national distribution through Hy-Vee, Kroger, Walmart, Schnucks, Dierbergs, 50+ regional grocers, and liquor chains such as Spec's, Total Wine, and Twin Liquors), and co-packing/private label services (custom product development with minimums of 20,000 lbs for dry blends, 2,400 gallons for liquids, and a $25,000 development deposit). The company sells through a direct B2B sales team for enterprise accounts and partner resources for distributors, while retail and liquor distribution flows through traditional CPG channels. The customer base is diversified horizontally across enterprise food service, mass grocery, and specialty retail — a deliberate shift away from the institutional food manufacturing focus of the predecessor Halben Food Manufacturing Company, which was sold to local St. Louis investors in 2004 and rebranded as Lasco Foods, Inc.

The company traces its lineage to 1897 (Polish immigrant Louis Allen) and the 1901 founding of L. Allen & Sons Company General Store, was renamed Allen Foods, Inc. in 1949, and acquired by US Foods in 2002, with the manufacturing division spinning off under local investors as Lasco Foods in 2004. The company launched its first proprietary consumer brand, Nina's Cocktails, in 2010, and acquired Hendrickson's Dressing in January 2023 to extend into adjacent categories. No venture capital or private equity ownership is disclosed, no AI/ML capabilities are observable, and the company remains a traditional branded specialty food manufacturer.

Name

Lasco Foods

Legal name

Lasco Foods, Inc.

Website

https://lascofoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lasco Foods is a privately held St. Louis manufacturer of dry cocktail mixes, RTU cocktail mixers, and salad dressings operating four brands — Lasco Granules, Nina's Cocktails, Hendrickson's, and Back Porch — sold through national grocery chains, liquor retailers, food service operators, and private label partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Mixes and Salad Dressings Manufacturing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Mayonnaise, Dressing, and Other Prepared Sauce Manufacturing (311941), Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Seasoning and Dressing Manufacturing (31194), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Powdered & Instant Beverage Mixes (Drink Mixes, Instant Coffee/Tea, Electrolytes) (CRADAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB), Beverage Concentrates, Syrups & Mixers Wholesale (AFAIAGAF), Powdered & Dry Beverage Mix Co-Packing (Instant Drinks, Sachets) (AFAFAIAH), Condiments, Sauces & Dressings (CRADAAAB), Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)

Keywords

• Cocktail mix manufacturing
• Food service products
• Salad dressings
• Beverage mixes
• Private label co-packing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Food Service: Bulk sales to food service operators including restaurants, bars, and institutional customers. Products include Lasco Granules dry cocktail mixes, Nina's Cocktails RTU mixers and concentrates, Hendrickson's salad dressings, and Back Porch beverage mixes.
2. Product Sales - Retail: Retail distribution through grocery stores, specialty food retailers, and liquor stores across the United States.
3. Co-Packing and Private Label Services: Custom product development and manufacturing services for private label partners. Minimums of 20,000 pounds for dry blends and 2,400 gallons for liquids. Requires $25,000 deposit for development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lasco Foods, Inc. manufactures and sells dry and ready-to-use cocktail mixes, beverage mixes, and salad dressings under four primary brands: Lasco Granules (dry cocktail mixes), Nina's Cocktails (concentrates and RTU mixers), Hendrickson's Dressings, and Back Porch Drink Mix. The company produces at its SQF-certified facility in St. Louis, Missouri and distributes through food service operators, grocery and liquor retailers, and private label/co-packing partnerships.

Product overview

Lasco Foods is a food and beverage manufacturing company offering a portfolio of cocktail mixes, beverage mixes, and salad dressings under multiple brands. The product line consists of four main brands: Lasco Granules (dry cocktail mixes for margaritas, sangria, and hurricanes with 24-month shelf life), Nina's Cocktails (concentrates and ready-to-use cocktail mixers including Classic, Natural (95% natural ingredients), and Natural Keto (under 3g carbs/serving) lines), Hendrickson's Dressings (salad dressings acquired in 2023, including Original Sweet Vinegar & Olive Oil, Classic Italian, and Sweet Mediterranean, all Kosher Pareve and gluten-free), and Back Porch Drink Mix (lemonade beverage mix primarily for foodservice). The company also offers co-packing and private label manufacturing services with minimums of 20,000 pounds for dry blends or 2,400 gallons for liquids.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lasco Granules: Dry cocktail mixes known for great taste, long shelf life and versatility in making margaritas, sangria and Hurricane cocktails.
• Nina's Cocktails
• Hendrickson's Dressings
• Back Porch Drink Mixes

Products and services

• Lasco Granules Dry cocktail mix product line offering great taste, long shelf life, and versatility for making margaritas, sangria, Hurricane cocktails, and other citrus-based cocktails at single-serve or large-batch scale. Targeted at food service operators, bars, and restaurants; also sold through retail channels. Available in canister and bag formats.
• Nina's Cocktails Cocktail concentrates and ready-to-use (RTU) cocktail mixers, syrups, juices, and purees spanning Classic, Natural (95% natural ingredients), and Natural Keto (under 3g carbs per serving) lines. Over twenty different cocktail mixes including margaritas, bloody marys, piña coladas, micheladas, strawberry puree, grenadine, simple syrup, sweet & sour, sweetened lime juice, triple sec, skinny margarita, and mango puree. Multiple products have won industry awards (ASCOT, SIP, San Francisco competitions). Targeted at food service operators and retail consumers.
• Hendrickson's Dressings Salad dressing brand acquired by Lasco Foods in January 2023, with a national retail presence. Includes Original Sweet Vinegar & Olive Oil (with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, and spices), Classic Italian (red wine vinegar, garlic, and spices; 15 calories per 2 tbsp), and Sweet Mediterranean (olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano) varieties. All dressings are certified Kosher Pareve and gluten-free. Versatile for salads, cooking, grilling, and seasoning. 12-month shelf life. A family favorite since 1931.
• Back Porch Drink Mix Beverage mix that makes large batches of refreshing lemonade without the hassle of preparing it from scratch — just add water and serve over ice. Primarily sold to food service operations. Available in 24oz bags with 24-month shelf life.
• Co-Packing and Private Label Manufacturing Services Custom product development and contract manufacturing services for private label partners. Capabilities cover dry blends (20,000 lb minimum) and liquids (2,400 gallon minimum), with a $25,000 development deposit required. Customers are businesses and brand owners seeking to develop signature food and beverage products under their own brand with Lasco's SQF-certified manufacturing, packaging, and labeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ years in business
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Hendrickson's DressingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2023Lasco Foods acquired Hendrickson's Dressing on January 3, 2023, to strengthen their salad dressing portfolio and align with their goal of supplying restaurants and retail locations. The acquisition positions Lasco Foods as a better retail and restaurant partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fee Brothers: Rochester-based manufacturer of cocktail mixers, syrups, and bitters serving both retail and food service. Comparable to Nina's Cocktails on bar/back-of-house focus and broad SKU portfolio of mixers and syrups.
• Master of Mixes: Owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, Master of Mixes is a leading branded cocktail mixer line (margaritas, daiquiris, sweet & sour) competing head-to-head with Nina's Cocktails across both retail and food service channels.
• Stirrings: Premium cocktail mixer brand offering RTU mixers, simple syrups, and bitters in retail grocery; directly comparable to Nina's Natural RTU line on positioning, price point, and natural-ingredient emphasis.
• Mr & Mrs T: Iconic mass-market cocktail mixer brand (margarita, Bloody Mary, sweet & sour) historically stocked across grocery and liquor retail; competes with Lasco Granules and Nina's Classic RTUs in the value-to-mid-tier mixer segment.
• ReaLemon / ReaL: Citrus juice and mixer brand (lemon, lime, and cocktail mixers) widely distributed in U.S. grocery. Directly overlaps with Nina's Sweetened Lime Juice, Margarita, and Sweet & Sour SKUs in retail cocktail-mixer aisles.
• Ken's Steak House: Established branded salad dressing and marinade line distributed nationally in grocery. Direct comparable to Hendrickson's Dressing across Italian, vinaigrette, and marinade categories and retail channels.

Broad incumbents

• Olive Garden Italian Dressing: Restaurant-licensed branded dressings (Italian, vinaigrette) sold through grocery. Overlaps with Hendrickson's Classic Italian and Sweet Mediterranean SKUs at retail with stronger consumer pull from the restaurant brand.
• Jose Cuervo: Global tequila brand that also markets branded margarita mixes in retail grocery. Overlaps with Lasco Granules and Nina's Classic Margarita in the branded margarita mixer segment, though anchored by a much larger tequila brand.
• Wish-Bone: Conagra-owned branded salad dressing portfolio with national retail distribution. Competes with Hendrickson's across Italian and vinaigrette categories at mass grocery, though backed by substantially larger marketing and scale.

Emerging players

• Powell & Mahoney: Craft cocktail mixer brand with Bloody Mary, margarita, and craft mixers positioned in natural and premium retailers. Comparable to Nina's Natural RTUs on clean-label positioning and growing retail footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lascofoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lasco-foods-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lasco Foods